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10 Ways to Stress Out Your Cat

Punish him for behaving like a cat. When your kitty
is doing something you don't want him to, getting physical with him
will do only one thing: teach him to fear you. Yelling "no" will scare
him off, but probably only momentarily.

Instead, when you find your cat misbehaving, distract him with a toy
or activity to show him what you want him to do instead, and then
lavishly reward him for his desirable behavior.Make sure your cat has plenty of approved climbing and scratching surfaces, and keep potentially hazardous items out of his reach.

Assume she understands what you're saying. Cats and other animals use body language to communicate. That's why talking to them is usually unproductive.

Instead, if you teach kitty "sit" and other commands, she will learn
to associate your words with the behaviors you want to see. Like dogs,
cats can be clicker trained using food rewards. According to Catster:

"Cat clicker training is an easy and fun way to help shape your
cat's behavior. The scientific term for the method is operant
conditioning – simply put, it means you can take advantage of your cat's
natural tendency to repeat an action that has a positive consequence.With clicker training, punishments are not used. You 'mark' a desirable behavior with a click, and then reward it with a treat."1

Grab his head. It's natural for humans to approach
cats head on, however, it's anything but natural for the cat. If you've
noticed, the response of most cats is to recoil from a direct grab.

Unfortunately, as soon as the cat throws it in reverse, many people
are so committed to the exchange they grab kitty's head and proceed to
ruffle his fur. Now, imagine how you'd like it if someone did that to
you!Cats don't appreciate a head-on approach or head grabs. They are much
more comfortable with long, gentle strokes from the head or neck area
to the tail, or a bit of scratching around the ears or chin.

Hold her to kiss or hug her. Cats are natural
predators, but they're also prey. The first thing a predator does upon
catching a prey animal is restrain it, which is why your kitty needs to
maintain her ability to move freely and escape.

It's also why your kitty probably gets stressed when you hold her,
even though you're being affectionate. Cats like to have all
interactions on their own terms (it's part of their need to control
their environment), so it's always best to let kitty come to you.

Ignore his litterbox. Cats are very clean creatures, so it goes without saying they detest a dirty bathroom. Most kitties held captive in homes
will happily use the litterbox and not the floor or some other
off-limits location as long as their human keeps their bathroom clean.

Kitty's litterbox should be scooped at least once daily, and dumped
and thoroughly cleaned every one to two weeks. This will help prevent
your cat from eliminating outside the box, and will also allow you to
regularly monitor the quantity and quality of his "output."

Pick a bad spot for her litterbox. Just as human
toilets aren't located in the middle of the living room, neither should
kitty's litterbox be in an open, noisy, and high-traffic area of your
home.

Just like us, cats need a private, safe spot in which to do their
business. Situate the litterbox in a quiet area of your home in which
kitty isn't apt to encounter people, other pets, or loud appliances. If
your cat is older, be sure the location and the litterbox itself are
easily accessible to her.

Use your fingers and toes as toys. It's enormously
tempting to wiggle the old tootsies or fingers under the covers to watch
your cat's reaction. It's also normal to be painfully surprised to
learn just how quickly he can move, and how sharp those little teeth and
claws are!

What you should NOT do in response is get angry at your cat, since
you mimicked the behavior of prey, and he responded appropriately. A
better option is to use interactive toys to engage with your kitty so he
learns your hands and other body parts are not prey.

Leave her alone for days. Many people believe one
of the advantages of having a cat is that their independent nature
allows them to be left on their own for long periods.

While it's true that cats don't require as much hands-on attention as dogs do, it's really not a good idea to leave your cat alone when you travel. Number one, kibble, which is the only food that won't spoil sitting out in the open for days, isn't a species-appropriate diet for cats. I never recommend dry pet food, especially for kitties.In addition, many cats will gorge themselves, eating all the food
within hours after you leave. Then they (often) throw up and have
nothing to eat until you return. This is stressful for your cat, and can
also endanger her health, since kitties need to eat every day.

An unattended, un-scooped, stinky litterbox is an invitation to your
cat to find some other spot to relieve herself. And finally, in a
worst-case scenario your cat could injure herself or become ill during
your absence, and no one would know.I recommend asking a friend, relative, neighbor or professional pet
sitter to stop by each day during your absence to feed and water kitty,
scoop the litterbox, and spend a few minutes with her to insure she's
content and healthy.

Use scented candles, plug-ins, cologne, or other strong-smelling chemicals. Cats
are very sensitive to odors (it's one of the reasons they are so
stressed during veterinary visits – all those smells!) and are often
bothered by strong scents in the air, on clothing or bedding, and even
on their humans.

If you share your home with a kitty, try to keep your use of
chemicals of all kinds to a minimum, especially those with a strong
odor. Instead, choose organic, non-toxic home cleaners in place of toxic
pine-based floor cleaners, chemical wet mops, or ammonia/bleach-based
cleaners.

Bring home strange cats. Any new member of the
household, two-legged or four, will cause temporary stress for your cat.
This goes double for a new feline addition to the family, especially
when the stranger isn't properly introduced.

The introduction of a new cat to the family should be well
controlled. This means setting him up in a separate area initially, and
letting the cats get accustomed to each other gradually, at their own
pace. This approach will help reduce the risk of inter-cat aggression and keep everyone's stress level down.

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